In order to store a huge amount of information such as a high image quality video, there has recently been a demand for increase in capacity, i.e., enhancement in recording density of optical information recording mediums. Under the circumstances, a super-resolution technique has been proposed in which an optical information recording medium (super-resolution medium), in which information is recorded with high density by a pit row that includes a pit whose length is shorter than that of an optical system resolution limit of a reproduction device, is reproduced at a reproduction light intensity (reproduction laser power) higher than that used to reproduce an optical information recording medium (normal medium) in which information is recorded by a pit row that does not include a pit whose length is equal to or shorter than that of the optical system resolution limit. Note that, in a case where (i) a wavelength of reproduction light to be emitted by the reproduction device is λ and (ii) a numerical aperture of an objective lens is NA, the optical system resolution limit is represented by λ/4NA.
As an example of such a super-resolution medium, Patent Literature 1 discloses an optical information recording medium having (i) a first region in which a content is recorded by pits (recesses and/or projections) including a pit whose length is shorter than that of an optical system resolution limit and (ii) a second region in which medium identification information for specifying a type of the medium is recorded by pits. In this optical information recording medium, pits that represent the medium identification information each have a length equal to or longer than that of the optical system resolution limit. According to this arrangement, when the super-resolution medium is identified, the super-resolution medium can be identified at reproduction laser power that is suitable for reproducing information recorded on a normal medium.